


Time for the Truth

by AnonEhouse



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Missing Scene, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Team Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23158510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/AnonEhouse
Summary: No one would say Steve Rogers lies, but... he might, just possibly, bend the truth a little. Sometimes.And you know, old people, they can be forgetful, and remember things how they wish they had been, rather than reality.He really, really doesn't mean to lie...
Comments: 78
Kudos: 274





	Time for the Truth

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

"Try it on," old Steve said, holding the Captain America (TM, another fine product of Stark Industries) shield out to Sam.

Sam took it and stared at it in awe. 

"How does it feel?" Steve asked.

"Like it's someone else's," Sam said.

Steve smiled and opened his mouth, but Bucky leaped over the bench and stood there, frowning. "What the hell am I, chopped liver?"

"Um," Sam looked back and forth between Bucky and Steve. "You know, on second thought, this is an honor, but I don't think I can use the shield _and_ my wings, and I don't want to give them up. You know, it's my thing, right, and Falcon America sounds like those dudes who hunt with birds?" Sam held the shield out to Bucky who grabbed it and held it like a teddy bear. Sam looked at Steve apologetically. "It'd be cool if I was a super soldier, but hell, I don't even know how to throw a frisbee."

Steve looked confused, and then he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, but... see, I didn't think Bucky would want it, because Howard made it, and you know, Bucky killed him."

Sam said, "Say what?"

Bucky scowled and petted the shield. "You told Stark that it wasn't me, it was Hydra!"

Sam blinked. "I think I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here."

Bucky didn't look up from the shield. "In Siberia when we fought? It was because Zemo showed Stark the movie of NOT ME killing his parents. He got upset and so we had to beat him down." He frowned. "And he made Steve leave the shield behind."

"This is..." Sam looked at Steve. "Um. Yeah. I wondered why Stark had the shield to give back to you. Ok. I guess... you probably had reasons why you didn't tell me? You know, those years when we were on the run? Care to tell me the reason now?"

Steve shrugged. "It was for the same reason I didn't tell Tony when I first suspected Hydra killed his parents. What good would it do? It was done, all in the past, let it go."

"Yeah, ok, I guess?" Sam let out a long sigh. Then he looked at Bucky. "So, you want to be Captain America?"

Bucky looked up from the shield. "I NEED to be Captain America. I never got a pass for all the stuff that happened before Wakanda. I don't have an identity or any money, or anything, unless I want to go back to goat herding in Wakanda. Don't get me wrong, it's a great country, beautiful, and the people were really nice to me, but sometimes you just want a pastrami on rye, you know I'm a New York City boy?" Then he scowled again at Steve. "And you were gonna forget all about me, because you finally got yourself a dame."

"It's not like that, Bucky!" Steve protested. "I did forget about you, but it's just because I'm old. I'm old and I forget things."

"That's no excuse," Bucky said. "You had seventy years to write yourself a God Damn note!"

Steve cleared his throat and lowered his eyes. "Um. No. Actually..." His voice lowered to a mumble, so Bucky and Sam had to lean in to hear. "Um. When I decided to stay with Peggy back in 1945... well... I didn't. I didn't know the stones were alive! They didn't want me to do it, I don't know why, something about changing the time stream or some other mumbo-jumbo, and so..." He took a deep breath. "When we were trying to figure out the time traveling, before we convinced Tony to help, well... Bruce... you know, since he melted halfway into Hulk, he's not all that smart... anyway, he TRIED. But Scott traveled along his OWN lifetime, and he was a baby and he was old and... that's what happened to me. I..." Steve smiled weakly. "The stones made me old and sent me back here. And... I guess they went wherever they wanted on their own somehow."

No one said anything for a long moment. Steve cleared his throat again and opened his eyes wide. "I just wanted you to think I won. Captain America always has to win."

"Steve," Bucky said in a low growling voice.

Steve put his chin up and said, "You can't yell at me! I'm old! That would be bullying!"

"Fuck," Sam said and lowered his face into his hands. "I'mma just gonna forget I heard all of this."

Bucky tilted his head and nodded. "Works for me." He stood up and then looked back at Steve. "You got a place to stay?"

"Avenger's Compound," Steve said. "It's home."

Sam opened and shut his mouth a few times before saying, "Yeah. Ok, we'll work something out." He stood up. "Come on, guys."

**Author's Note:**

> izumi2 pointed out that the Compound had been obliterated by Thanos.
> 
> I totally forgot. BUT on the bright side, Steve's OLD, so he forgot, TOO!
> 
> And Sam wasn't going to upset him by telling him. I wonder where the Avengers ARE going to live (if MCU makes any more Avengers movies). Eh, MCU doesn't care about details. They'd better NOT say that Pepper feels guilty for their loss and is subsidizing them.


End file.
